“For unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
The newer Bible versions remove the comma between the word “Wonderful” and “Counsellor,” making wonderful an adjective describing the kind of counsellor He is (which I’m sure is accurate), however, that’s not what it’s saying. The word “Wonderful” is the Hebrew word “Pele” which has a multifaceted meaning, such as “astonishing or wonderful” as well as “an act of intercession, like prayer.” The Hebrew word for prayer, “Palal” shares the same root word as “Pele” which is “Pal” meaning, “speaking to authority.”
In the Assyrian (related) language, a similar word that is used for “Wonderful” is, “Palalu,” meaning to “march out in front; to precede another.”
Friends, word studies are like mining for precious jewels! In this single word, we find that in Jesus, we have an Intercessor - a go-between - between a Righteous God that demands perfection, and a world entrenched in sin. “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). And when our hearts groan with tears of heaviness, “He intercedes for us with groanings that can’t be expressed with words” (Romans 8:26). Oh, how needed and how Wonderful!
We also find that this word reveals that in Christ, He will be The Voice of authority in our lives. Because of Him, we no longer will look to self, through good works (the law), or animal sacrifices to atone for our sins. “For our sake, God made Him (Jesus), to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the Righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are now seen as righteous through Him. This is beyond Wonderful!
And lastly, this word, “Wonderful” reminds us that we no longer face the giants of this life (Satan, Death, and Eternity) alone. He “marches out in front…” “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19). How comforting and wonderful!
When death stares us in the face, we hear His voice speak with all authority to this daunting enemy, “Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory?” “Because He conquered death, we, too, shall live!” What wonderful power!
And when the brevity of this life overwhelms us in light of a never-ending eternity, He reminds us that He again has gone before us through the veil of death to Abundant Life, where “For the ages to come He will show us the exceeding riches of His glory.” Is there anything more wonderful?!
Dear ones, He is far more than can be described in one word, but if we deep sea dive into the treasures of this one word we find He’s our Wonderful intercessor; One who speaks with all authority in our lives; and The One who marches out before us in all things temporal and eternal, and shows us The Way.
He truly is… Wonderful!
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